Crime
23-year-old Lance Morales wanted for the murder of Jessiah Mercado and her 4-month-old son, Messiah Diaz
Police warned that he might also have access to other vehicles.
Hartford police are urgently searching for a man considered armed and extremely dangerous following a devastating shooting Tuesday afternoon that claimed the lives of a 20-year-old Massachusetts woman and her infant son.
The tragedy unfolded around 2:30 p.m. on New Britain Avenue, near Hillside Avenue and Zion Street.
According to investigators, a vehicle pulled up alongside the victims’ car and opened fire before speeding away.
The victims, identified as Jessiah Mercado, 20, and her 4-month-old son, Messiah Diaz, both from Springfield, Massachusetts, were rushed to the hospital but tragically succumbed to their injuries.
A third victim, a man in his 20s, sustained a gunshot wound but is expected to recover. The driver of the victims’ car was not injured.
Authorities have identified the suspect as 23-year-old Lance “Macho” Morales, whose last known address is in Waterbury, Connecticut.
Morales is believed to have fled the scene in a white Infiniti Q-70 bearing Massachusetts license plate 3NEB35.
Police warned that he might also have access to other vehicles.
Preliminary investigations suggest the shooting stemmed from a dispute over a vehicle.
Interim Police Chief Kenny Howell issued a direct plea to Morales, saying, “Lance, you have no other option but to hand yourself in to the Hartford Police Department for the horrific crimes you have committed. You have taken the lives of an infant and his mother. We do not tolerate that in this city.”
The Hartford Police Department is urging anyone with information about Morales’ whereabouts to contact them immediately. This tragic case remains under active investigation.
Crime
17-Year-Old Wyatt Sanders Arrested in Connection with Fatal Shooting of 16-Year-Old Miranda Clements in Vivian
Caddo Parish authorities are continuing their investigation into a fatal shooting that claimed the life of a 16-year-old girl in Vivian, Louisiana, on the evening of Sunday, April 20.
According to officials, officers with the Vivian Police Department responded to reports of a shooting just before 8:30 p.m. at a residence in the 33 block of Pardue Street.
Upon arrival, officers located 16-year-old Miranda Clements lying on the floor inside the home with a gunshot wound to her upper body.
Emergency personnel with Caddo Fire District 8 responded and pronounced the teenager deceased at the scene.
Following the initial response, Vivian police contacted the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office for assistance.
Detectives with the Sheriff’s Office launched a joint investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
Authorities initially stated they were working to establish whether foul play was involved.
As part of the investigation, 17-year-old Wyatt Layne Sanders was taken into custody in connection with the incident.
He was booked into the Caddo Parish Correctional Center at 3:07 a.m. on Monday, April 21. According to jail records, Sanders is facing two counts of illegal possession of a handgun by a juvenile and one count of negligent homicide.
He remains in custody as of the latest report.
The investigation remains active and ongoing.
Further details, including the events leading up to the shooting, have not yet been released.